Signments



G. w. PRICE.

COIN BOX.

(No Model.)

No. 416,496. Pate'nted'Deo. s, 1889.

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B? 0A. 3.-LLW

WITNESSES: I

ATTORNEY.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

GEORGE W. PRICE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO THE EUREKA BOX COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COIN-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,496, dated December 3, 1889.

Application filed. January 2, 1889. Serial No. 295,139. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

1 3e it known that I, GEORGE W. PRICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a box for receiving com.

The object is to provide a box having a slot for the reception of a coin, and containing two compartments, and having means, as hereinafter described, whereby a coin dropped in the said slot may pass to either one of the said compartments, as chance may determine.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which.

Figure 1 shows a perspective View of the box. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the box. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3, showing a view looking down into the two coin-channels. Fig. 4 is a section showing an inside view of the lower back portion of the box on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 shows a detail View of the latch or hook which confines one of the drawers.

The box A may be of any size and of any shape, and may be made of wood, metal, or other material. The box is provided with a slot 1) for the reception of coins, and two channels or passages c c are connected with said slot, and each leads therefrom to a different compartment 61 d. The particular location of the slot b, whether it be in the side or in the top of the box, as here shown, is immaterial. The drawings illustrate one form of constructing these parts; but the construction may obviously differ from that here shown. In the present instance a short length of tube 11 connects with the slot-opening b in the box and'forms a junction with the said two channels 0 c. A diverging point e separates the two channels and is immediately below the reception-slot or below the tube 7),

which connects with the said slot. It will be seen that a coin dropped into the slot 1) will strike upon the diverging point e, and will then pass down one of the channels. Which of the two channels the coin takes will depend wholly upon chance.

The box contains two receptacles or compartments d d, which may be of any preferred kind, such as a mere dividing-wall to form separate spaces, or boxes or drawers, as shown. In the present instance there is a dividing-wall f, and a box 9 occupiesone compartment d, while a drawer h occupies the other compartment cl and opens through the front of the box A. The drawer has a glass panel h in its front side, by which the contents of the drawer may be viewed. As the diverging point e is directly below the lower end of the coin-receiving slot 1), the coin will fall upon the said point and be diverted laterally to either one of two opposite sides, as chance may determine, and thereby fall into one or the other of said compartments d d. The channels merely guide the falling coin to the compartments. Access is had to the first compartment (1 and the box 9 within it by the door i at the back of the box A. This door may be securely fastened by a lock. (Not shown.)

The second compartment d is reached bysliding out the drawer h. WVhile this drawer may be secured or fastened in any convenient manner, a feature of the invention consists of in Fig. 2. The spring is has one end attached to the front wall of box A and the other end attached to the drawer h. It will be seen that when the drawer is pushed in the spring is will yield and the latch j will disengage, and when the latch is lifted or disengaged the spring will force the drawer out.

In order to lift the latch j to allow the drawer h to open, a lever m is employed. This lever is pivoted at n, and one end projects up and has a notch or fork 0, (shown plainly in Fig. 5,) which takes underor engages with the latch. The other end of this lever passes through a slot p in the rear wall of the box A, and its extremity projects on the outer side. By pressing down on said outer projecting extremity of the lever the drawer-latch j will be disengaged. To secure the said lever m from movement, and thereby prevent the latch from disengaging, an ordinary lock q is used. This lock is attached on. the inner side of the rear wall of the box A, adjoining the slot 1) for the lever m, and the bolt 0' of the look, when shut, takes under the said lever on and projects across the slot 9. Thus the lock-bolt 1' prevents the projecting extremity of the lever from being moved. The key .9 of the lock is shown in Fig. 2.

Provision is made in connection with the two channels for fixing the proportion of chances. (See Fig. 3.)

It will be understood that if the throats'of the two channels 0 c which are separated by the diverging point 6, were of the same size the chances would be equal of a coin taking either channel. Therefore it is probable that of a given number of coins dropped in the slot 1) about one half of the number would be deposited in the box 9 and the other half in the drawer h. In order to change this proportion and cause more coins to pass into one channel than the other, a throat-contractor i (see Figs. 2 and 3) is provided at one side of the diverging point (2. By thus having one channelthroat smaller than the other a greater proportion than one-half of the coins dropped in the slot will pass to one compartment and a less proportion to the other. Of course the degree of contraction or reduction in the size of one of the throats may be governed by varying the size of the opening in the contractor device 2.

This box is useful as a toy savings-bank, and will encourage saving money. A child maydeposit all of his coins in the slot 1) of the box. The larger proportion will pass into and accumulate in the box g, to which access may be excluded for a long term-for instance, one yearby keeping the door 2' locked during that period. These coins constitute the savings. The smaller number of the coins will pass into the drawer h, and the number contained therein may be seen at all times through the glass panel 72/. These coins may be removed at short intervals whenever spending money is desired.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A box having two separate coin-compart- I ments, one coin-receiving slot, two channels,

both connecting with the said coin-slot, and

each channel leading therefrom toward a different one of the said coin-compartmcnts, whereby a coin placed in the slot will have the chance of passing into either one of the compartments.

2. A box having two separate coin-compartments, one coin-receiving slot, two channels, both connecting with the said coin-slot, and each channel leading therefrom toward one of the said coin-compartments, and a diverging point fixed directly below the lower end of the said coin-receiving slot and separating the upper ends of the two channels.

3. A box having two coin-compartments, one eoin-receiving slot, two channels, both connecting with the said coin-slot, and each channel leading therefrom toward one of the said coin-compartments, and a contractor in the throat of one of the channels at one side of the point of connection of said channels with the coin-slot, for the purpose set forth.

4. A box having two coin-compartments, a separate and independent fastening for each compartment, one coin-receiving slot, and two channels, both connecting with the said coinslot, and each channel leading therefrom toward one of the said coin-compartments.

5. The combination of a box having two compartments, one of which is a sliding drawer, and a coin-receiving slot, a latch or hook to hold the drawer when the latter is pushed in, a spring to force the drawer out when the latch releases its hold, and two channels connected with the said coin-slot, one leading to the drawer and one to the other compartment.

(3. The combination of a box havingaeoinreceiving slot, two separate compartments within the box, an independent fastening for each compartment, and a diverging point fixed directly below the lower end of the said coin-receiving slot.

7. The combination of a box having a coinreceiving slot, two separate compartments within the box, and a diverging point fixed directly below the lower end of said coin-receiving slot.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE W. PRICE. \Vitnesses:

JOHN E. MORRIS, J NO. '1. MADDOX. 

